Late Roman ivory artefacts in context: materiality and meaning

Abstract

This doctoral thesis examines ivory artefacts in the Late Roman period (300 – 600 CE) with a view to understanding their functions and meanings in the original contexts in which they were made, viewed and used. Ivory of this period is known mostly from well-preserved pieces from unknown findspots in museum collections. The thesis integrates published archaeological evidence for ivory artefacts with museum objects to extend our understanding of the material and social contexts for ivory objects in this period. The interpretative framework of the research is informed by an object-centred approach, using material, visual and textual evidence and contextualisation which draws on work from sociology and anthropology. Evidence of the commercial and cultural connectivity of which ivory artefacts were a part is reviewed and related to the wider topic of luxury consumption in the late Roman world.